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					<h3>Nyingmapa</h3>
					The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism (the other three being the Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug). "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and is often referred to as the "school of the ancient translations" or the "old school" because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan, in the eighth century. In modern times the Nyingma lineage has been centered in Kham in eastern Tibet.
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					The Nyingma tradition actually comprises several distinct lineages that all trace their origins back to the Indian master Padmasambhava (Sanskrit for "lotus-born"; Tib. Guru Rinpoche, "precious teacher"), the legendary founder of Tibetan Buddhism. Historically, Nyingmapa are categorised into Red Sangha and White Sangha. Red Sangha denotes a celibate, monastic practitioner; whereas White Sangha denotes liberation or abstention from such vows.
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					Nyingma maintains the earliest Vajrayana teachings. The other three schools are known collectively as Sarma or "new translation" schools, having arisen from a second wave of translation. Followers of the tradition are known as Nyingmapa "pa" being a common suffix comparable to "er" or "ite" in English.

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